The Nielsen numbers, though admittedly not inclusive of all modern viewing methods, are in for Beyoncé's Netflix documentary Homecoming.
On the launch date of April 17, per Variety, Homecoming hit an estimated 1.1 million U.S. viewers with an average per-minute audience of 828,000. That average mostly held through the weekend ending April 21.
The report also points out a pair of records set by the film, including an opening seven-day release window that saw viewership that was 55 percent black, the highest percentage for any original streaming show or movie tracked by Nielsen yet. Additionally, that seven-day period’s audience was 70 percent women, besting the previous season 6 high (66 percent) of Netflix's own Orange Is the New Black.
Annoyingly, these numbers don't take into account a crucial chunk of viewers who watch, say, on their phone. The Nielsen numbers only cover U.S.-based viewing on WiFi-connected TVs. Desktop and mobile viewing stats are not included.
Homecoming is part of a larger (and allegedly worth $60 million) deal between Beyoncé and Netflix, who made some early morning headlines Wednesday with the release of a new Black Mirror trailer. With the deal, Netflix has agreed to the release of a trio of specials, the first of which was worth an estimated $20 million and sees Beyoncé credited as a writer and director. It's also been alleged that HBO, who previously partnered with Beyoncé on similar projects, were initially interested.
